Housing Infrastructure Fund Awards

£866 million to be investment in local housing projects.

On Thursday 1st February, Housing Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Philip Hammond announced that 133 council-led projects across the country will receive funding to support local work that will make housing developments viable and get much-needed homes built quicker.

Up to 200,000 new homes are set to get off the ground as government confirms £866 million investment in local housing projects. The Money, which is part of the £5 billion Housing Infrastructure Fund, will be used to fund key local infrastructure projects including new roads, cycle paths, flood defences, and land remediation work.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond, said:

Today marks the first step of the multi-billion pound investment we announced at the Budget to help build the homes our country needs.

This fund finances vital infrastructure such as roads, schools and bridges, which will kick-start housing development in some of Britain’s highest-demand areas.

This support will help us meet our ambitious plan of building 300,000 new homes each year and ensure we have enough housing in areas which need it most.

Housing Secretary Sajid Javid said:

Our priority is building the homes this country desperately needs.

This first wave of investment totalling £866 million will help get up to 200,000 homes off the ground, making a huge difference to communities across the country.

This is just one of the many ways this government is taking action to get Britain building homes again.

Three projects in Kent received funding. They are:

1) Dover Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT): This project received an indicative HIF allocation of £15.8m to provide a BRT between Whitfield, Dover Town Centre and Dover Priory station. The new BRT is seen as essential in supporting two major housing allocations set out in the District Council’s Core Strategy, the Whitfield Urban Expansion (5,750 homes) and the former Connaught Barracks site now owned by the HCA (500 homes).

2) Manston/Haine Roundabout: This proposal received an indicative HIF allocation of £2.5m to fund the provision of a new roundabout and associated road connections to the existing network at the junction between Manston Road and Haine Road in Ramsgate. This roundabout forms part of the Manston Green housing development, which has outline planning permission for 785 dwellings.

3) Queenborough & Rushenden Regeneration: This project received an indicative HIF allocation of £3.5m for the demolition and land remediation of a brownfield site which will unlock the development of 990 new homes.